The Horn Book Guide

PRESCHOOL

Guthrie, Woody

New Baby Train

32 pp. | Little/Tingley | September, 2004 | Trade ISBN 0-316-07203-6 $15.99

(2) PS Illustrated by Marla Frazee. Guthrie's folksong is buoyant but disjointed; Frazee turns it into a coherent, child-appealing picture book. A boy with a guitar boards the new baby train, accompanying some dozen infants heading for their new homes. The babies are nicely differentiated--by skin color, hairstyle, and a cap or two. All receive the same joyous welcome from their new families at journey's end. The 1930s Dust Bowl setting is striking.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2004